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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Adaptations of classics can go one of two ways. Either they become a weak copy of the original which leaves the reader slightly bereft, or it manages to take the spirit of the original and dress it up anew. When an adaptation succeeds it doesn't detract from the original but rather add to it, like a kind of cheeky homage. I have always been hesitant about adaptations of my favourite classics because I simply love them too much but I have been opening myself up to them. And I'm extremely glad to have given Jane Steele a chance. Thanks to Headline Review and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
There's something delightful about taking a proper and good governess and giving her a knife. As a literature student you learn to treat Classics with a capital C with a certain kind of distant respect, as if it should never be touched, which means that when you see someone taking it for a stroll and changing it it can trigger something of a knee-jerk reaction. But when it is done as deliciously as Faye does in Jane Steele there is no way someone who loves Jane Eyre couldn't at least appreciate her novel. Her plot is incredibly interesting, with little and big twists and an absolutely fascinating insight into the Anglo-Sikh wars, fought in the Punjab in the 1840s. Faye rightly recognised the presence of the neo-colonial in Mr. Rochester's past and translated it into Mr. Thornfield's past and presence. Faye's Sikh characters are some of the most interesting characters in Jane Steele and I left the book wanting to learn more about them.
Overall I loved reading Jane Steele, it got me straight back to loving Jane Eyre and cheering for Jane and Mr. Thornfield. Jane Steele has a delightful cast of characters, each of which will endear itself to the reader within pages. I'd recommend it, of course, to fans of Jene Eyre but also in general to fans of crime fiction and even historical fiction.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/review-jane-steele-by-lyndsay-faye.html
There's something delightful about taking a proper and good governess and giving her a knife. As a literature student you learn to treat Classics with a capital C with a certain kind of distant respect, as if it should never be touched, which means that when you see someone taking it for a stroll and changing it it can trigger something of a knee-jerk reaction. But when it is done as deliciously as Faye does in Jane Steele there is no way someone who loves Jane Eyre couldn't at least appreciate her novel. Her plot is incredibly interesting, with little and big twists and an absolutely fascinating insight into the Anglo-Sikh wars, fought in the Punjab in the 1840s. Faye rightly recognised the presence of the neo-colonial in Mr. Rochester's past and translated it into Mr. Thornfield's past and presence. Faye's Sikh characters are some of the most interesting characters in Jane Steele and I left the book wanting to learn more about them.
Overall I loved reading Jane Steele, it got me straight back to loving Jane Eyre and cheering for Jane and Mr. Thornfield. Jane Steele has a delightful cast of characters, each of which will endear itself to the reader within pages. I'd recommend it, of course, to fans of Jene Eyre but also in general to fans of crime fiction and even historical fiction.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/review-jane-steele-by-lyndsay-faye.html
I should have really liked this book. I probably should have loved it. Jane Eyre is my very favourite book. This Jane is a pretty cool murderess.
Theoretically.
I mean, she's pretty cool and ballsy for the first third of the book. She has an awesome, strong friendship with a girl named Rebecca Clark, and they sustain each other through the awful calamities and abuses of boarding school, where they are thrown under the bus by the world's worst teacher. Seriously. She's got to be the worst character in the book, all of the creepy, gross, and abusive men Jane dispatches of aside. I was disappointed.
The last two thirds of the book basically has a caricature of the Jane we first meet. She swears and has a knife, so obviously she's ballsy. Except she's insipid, fawning, and obsessed with her secretive employer, who is as tormented a Byronic hero as his inspiration, the much more appealing Mr. Rochester.
The prose isn't remarkable, although it's nothing to sneeze at. It's mostly engaging, although frequently cheesy through the last two thirds. There are a few lines that shine like pearls though thrown in.
Clark was poorly treated and deserved better. She also, frankly, probably should have been the real main character, her story seemed much more interesting.
Theoretically.
I mean, she's pretty cool and ballsy for the first third of the book. She has an awesome, strong friendship with a girl named Rebecca Clark, and they sustain each other through the awful calamities and abuses of boarding school, where they are thrown under the bus by the world's worst teacher. Seriously. She's got to be the worst character in the book, all of the creepy, gross, and abusive men Jane dispatches of aside. I was disappointed.
The last two thirds of the book basically has a caricature of the Jane we first meet. She swears and has a knife, so obviously she's ballsy. Except she's insipid, fawning, and obsessed with her secretive employer, who is as tormented a Byronic hero as his inspiration, the much more appealing Mr. Rochester.
The prose isn't remarkable, although it's nothing to sneeze at. It's mostly engaging, although frequently cheesy through the last two thirds. There are a few lines that shine like pearls though thrown in.
Clark was poorly treated and deserved better. She also, frankly, probably should have been the real main character, her story seemed much more interesting.
A very fun and witty spoof on Victorian and Gothic fiction that pulls familiar elements from Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and more. Jane Steele never takes itself too seriously and most of the novel is peppered with tongue-in-cheek nods at Byronic heroes, London foundlings, Victorian morals, sadistic schoolmasters, and mad women in attics.
All that being said, Lyndsay Faye has one of the best voices for creating a strong sense of place and time and her descriptions of Victorian England and 19th century colonial life sucked me in immediately. Lyndsay Faye also created a memorable, funny, independent heroine in Jane Steele that you can't help but root for.
All that being said, Lyndsay Faye has one of the best voices for creating a strong sense of place and time and her descriptions of Victorian England and 19th century colonial life sucked me in immediately. Lyndsay Faye also created a memorable, funny, independent heroine in Jane Steele that you can't help but root for.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Enjoyable read that's a retelling of Jane Eyre, without the madwoman in the attic. I took much longer to finish this book than I would've preferred, but life. The author nailed the style of Bronte's classic even though the subject matter was raw on occasion. I recommend it for a good read.
I would rate the first part of this book a 4-4.5, it was gripping and I was on the edge of my seat! But once Thornfield comes into play the story drags making this a 3-3.5. I actually think I would have preferred this had been Jane Eyre as a serial killer with a heart, rather than someone who is similar to her.
Obviously there’s murder, but also topics of sex, rape, and partner and child abuse so be aware of that going in.
Obviously there’s murder, but also topics of sex, rape, and partner and child abuse so be aware of that going in.
It's more like 2.5 stars but whatever. It's supposed to be an homage to Jane Eyre while still being a original piece and while it is - it's no "My Lady Jane".
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Brief Summary: This book is kind of a retelling of Jane Eyre. Jane Steel and Jane Eyre are both orphaned, attend a girl’s school and become governesses. Outside of that Steel and Eyre diverge quite a bit. Steel is a murderess; she says it at the very beginning. She is not shy about investigating mysteries, taking charge of her own life and speaking up. There is still love, mystery and a kind of gothic setting.
Mini Review: I enjoyed the book overall but felt there were issues with the pacing, it felt like this could have been told in a more modern setting more effectively. This book was action packed and Steele was a compelling protagonist. There was also a weird dynamic between paying tribute to Indian culture and also vilifying it that was a bit of a struggle to get behind.
Overall rating: 3
Writing: 3
Plot: 3.5
Structure: 3
Characters: 4
Pacing: 4
Emotional impact: 3
A promising beginning went to hell in a racist, colonialist ending: a non-white person is the villain, another non white person loses a limb protecting a white woman, and a cache of lost jewels are given by a white man on behalf of the non white child to whom they belong, to the East India Trading Company. One of the worst things about Jane Eyre is the racist colonialist depiction of the madwoman in the attic, and Jane's aversion to her. This book started off promisingly as an homage that brought forth some of the original's subtexts and played with other plot points and characters in clever ways. So it was with horror that I saw the ending repeat the horrors of the past, not redeem them.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes